Mining machine lubrication



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Patented Nov. 14, r1950 MINING MACHINE LUBRICATION Arthur L. Lee, Upper Arlington, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application April 6, 1945, Serial No. 586,979. Divided and this application June 25, 1946, Serial No. 679,303

Claims.

This invention relates to a mining machine. An object of the invention is to provide a mining machine including kerf-cutting mechanism and a permanently engaged overload releasing clutch between the driving motor and the cutting and/or feeding mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mining machine including a motor and drive gearing, in which there is a hollow rotor shaft and a drive shaft extending therethrough, said shafts being mounted on separate bearings and preferably including a clutch connecting them, in which the drive shaft is also provided with an oil passageway which is employed to lubricate both the rotor and drive shaft bearings.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which improved lubricating means is formed for the rotor and drive shaft supporting bearings.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the shortwall type mining machine herein disclosed which incorporates the features of my invention, the cutter bar being shown cut short; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, with parts broken away and shown in vertical section.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 586,979, filed April 6, 1945, entitled Mining Machine.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the machine includes a main frame 4U which in practice is preferably formed of two substantially independent frames including a forward motor frame or section 4| and a rearward machinery frame or section 42, the two frames or sections 4| 'and 42 being removably connected together as by machine screws or bolts.

Removably attached to the rear end of the machinery frame or section 42 is a gummer, bugduster or cuttings removing mechanism 43 which may be optionally employed or omitted. Extending forwardly from the motor frame or section 4| is a kerf-cutting mechanism 44 including an elongated cutter bar 45 which is of substantially standard construction except for the rear end portion and upon which there is mounted an endless cutter chain 46 provided with removable and reversible cutter bits 41.

As is well known, the shortwall type of mining machine is adapted to be fed as a unit over the` mine floor while cutting a kerf, the kerf being cut by first sumping the cutter bar into the solid coal and then feeding the machine laterally or across the coal face, all the while the kerf-cutting mechanism 44 is in operation.

To effect the feeding of the mining machine as a unit, both at a kerf-cutting speed and at a handling or higher speed and in reverse directions, the machine includes a pair of feed cable or rope drums on opposite sides thereof mounted on aligned horizontal axes, one of which drums is seen at 48 in Fig. l of the drawings.

The mining machine is adapted to rest on and slide over the mine floor when in operation and the supporting surfaces of the machine are provided largely by four spaced hydraulic piston jacks or motors, there being two at the rear designated 51 and two at the front designated 58. These hydraulic jacks provide for adjusting the elevation of the cutter mechanism 44 or, in other words, the effective height of the machine and also provide for adjusting the inclination or tilt thereof on right angul'arly related axes relative to a horizontal plane.

Extending from the motor section 4| into the machinery section 42 is the end of a hollow drive shaft 59 which is supported at its outer or rear end on an anti-friction'bearing 6|! which in turn is supported on a web or integral bracket formed on the frame 42.

Keyed adjacent the end of the shaft 59 is a pinion 6| which meshes with a larger pinion 62 keyed to a shaft B3, the gears 6| and 62 constituting elements of a gear train which lead to the drive mechanism for the cutter chain 46 and for the feed drums, one of which is seen at 48, as well as for the bugduster 43, all as disclosed in full detail in my above identified parent application.

The shaft 59 is drilled, bored or otherwise made hollow to provide a central passageway |52 which acts as an oil conduit and delivers oil received from a high pressure relief valve by way of a fitting |53 mounted on a bracket in the enclosure of machinery section 42, which fitting extends into the adjacent portion of the passageway |52. The oil thus delivered to the passageway |52 of shaft 59 is discharged adjacent its forward end to lubricate various bearings and other parts, as hereinafter described.

Within the enclosure provided by the casting frame or housing 4| is a rotor or armature |55 of the mining machine driving motor |54. The frame 4| is primarily of magnetic material, such as iron, to provide a magnetic path for the flux of said driving motor |54.

The rotor or arma` ture |55 is mounted on a hollow or tubular rotor or armature shaft |56 Which at its rear is supported on a roller bearing |51 which is supported in a generally cylindrical bearing block, cartridge or retainer |58 which is mounted in a cup |59 formed integral with the frame 4|. The block or cartridge |58 is provided with a pair of oil seal piston rings |60 which co-operate with the inner cylindrical surface of the cup |59.

Bearing block or cartridge |58 is slidable with the armature or rotor |55, the shafts 59 and |56 and the bearing |51, together with pinion 6| and the inner race of bearing 60 and a grooved oil seal ring |62, so that all of these parts can be removed by sliding them forwardly through the front of the casing or housing 4| after removing a front cover plate |6| and elevating the front end with respect to the cutter bar 45 as hereinafter described more completely.

The grooved seal ring |62 co-operates with the adjacent surface formed by a hole in the forward vertical wall of the frame 42, through which the pinion 6| extends and thus reaches the machinery or gearing within said enclosure or compartment 42. No attempt is made to provide an oil tight seal at this place.

The structure of the bearing 60 is of considerable importance in providing for removal of the rotor |55 and associated parts, as above described. To this end, the outer peripheral surface of the inner race which, of course, has a rolling contact with anti-friction rolls or other members of the bearing 60, is not grooved or notched, but is substantially cylindrical and thus may be freely withdrawn from the rest of the bearing, While leaving the rollers and outer race in assembled relation so that said inner race may thereafter be freely inserted in place. This is furthermore possible by virtue of the fact that the drive shaft 59 does not support the load of the rotor |55 since it is supported on the bearing |51 at the rear and a forward bearing, as hereinafter described. Also, any axial thrust on the shaft 59 is taken by a forward roller bearing or the like which is designed to take such axial thrust as hereinafter described.

The structure of the cartridge or bearing block |58 and associated mechanism provides an important part of my invention and allows for the ready removal of the rotor or armature |55, together with its easy re-insertion. This is described in my parent application and also described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 679,302, led June 25, 1946, now Patent Number 2,441,495.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the forward end of the hollow or tubular rotor or armature shaft |56 is supported by an anti-friction ball bearing |61 in a recessed cup in the removable front cover plate |6| of the motor casing or section 4|, and an oil seal |68 is provided adjacent a press ring on the shaft |56 so as to prevent oil which lubricates the bearing |61 reaching the interior of the motor housing provided by the enclosing frame 4|.

There is also seen a commutator |69 of the motor |54 and an air circulating fan |10, the hub of which is keyed to and rotates with the rotor shaft |56. The fan |10 operates to circulate air within the enclosed housing 4| which is preferably of the permissible or explosion-proof type, thus providing adequate cooling for said motor by circulating the air against the exposed surfaces thereof.

Intel-connecting the front end of the hollow rotor shaft |56 and the drive shaft 59 is a permanently engaged friction type overload release clutch |1| which includes a driving member |12 keyed to the shaft |56 and a driven member |13 keyed to the drive shaft 59, The driven member |13 is provided with a plurality of compression springs |14 received in wells thereof which compress a compression ring |15 which in turn compresses overlapping driving and driven friction clutch plates |16, alternate ones of which are splined to the driving and driven members |12 and |13, respectively.

The friction clutch |1| provides an overload relieving driving mechanism or connection between rotor shaft |56 and the drive shaft 59. The clutch I1| is provided with a totally enclosing housing, the rear plate of which is the front motor plate |6|, and the main housing portion of which is a casting or casing member |11 which is removably attached to the front plate |6I. A removable bearing plate |18 is provided adjacent the center of the cover |11 and forms an effective part thereof.

To support the front end of the drive shaft 59 and to take the end thrust which, of course, is relatively small, there is provided an anti-friction ball bearing |19 which is interposed between the hub of the driven clutch member |13 and a cup formed at the center of the casing |11; this bearing being held in place by the removable bearing plate |18. A nut and washer clamp the clutch driven member |13 and the inner race of the ball bearing |19 to the reduced forward end of the shaft 59.

Attention is now directed particularly to the feature by which lubricating oil is fed to the bearings |51, |61 and |19 as well as to the bearing on the forward end of the shaft 63 in the machinery section 42. As described in my parent application, whenever a high pressure relief valve of the high pressure hydraulic system operates, the discharge therefrom will be delivered in part to the fitting |53 and by it to the passageway |52 in the drive shaft 59. The oil will flow forward through the passageway |52 and out the front end of the shaft 59 into the housing of clutch |1I, lubricating the bearing |19 as well as the parts of said clutch |1|.`

Since the ball bearing |61 is in free communication with the interior of this clutch compartment, it will also be lubricated. Any oil which gets by the oil seal |68 will be carried away by a drain duct |8| formed in the motor plate |6|.

There is clearance provided between the external surface 0f the shaft 59 and the internal surface of the rotor shaft |56 and this provides a conduit by which the oil is returned to the rear end of the motor |54 and delivered to the bearing |51, passageways also being provided between the frames 4| and 42 so that some of this oil will also reach the forward bearing which supports the sh-aft 63.

The block or cartridge |58 is provided with a pair of adjacent oil seals |82 which prevent entrance of oil into the interior of the motor casing. Any small leakage which may get by the seals |82 is drained by a passageway |83, which includes a peripheral groove |84 about the outer surface of the block |58 and between the two piston rings |60.

It is thus evident that oil is forced through the hollow shafts 59 and |56 to lubricate the shaft bearings |51, |61 and |19, as well as the bearing for shaft 63. Furthermore, oil which4 will flow through the bearing supporting shaft 63 will flush over the pinionv 6| and lubricate it and by contact, or otherwise, lubricate the gear 62 and also lubricate the bearing 60.

To provide for removal of the rotor or armature |55 by moving it longitudinally or axially out of the casing or frame 4| upon detaching the front cover plate |6|, while retaining the cutter chain 46 on the drive sprocket and on the cutter bar 45, it is necessary to swing the forward end of the frame upwardly with respect to the cutter bar 45. To provide for this and at the same time to provide a readily removable cutter bar 45, the main body of the cutter bar which extends forwardly from the frame 40 is provided with a rearward U-shaped portion or extension |89 in the form of a pair of laterally spaced arms which also act as bottom skids or supports when the hydraulic jacks 5'! and 58 are contracted; that is, the bottoms of the arms of extension |89 rest directly on the mine floor, under these conditions.

The rearmost end of each arm |89 is provided withan open end slot |90 adapted to slide over a' bearing block |9| pivoted to a pin |92 which is removably received in a socket formed integral with a closure casting which forms a part of the frame 42. The pin |92 is held in its socket by a removable set screw |93. Thus the two forked branches of the cutter bar extension |89 are pivotally connected on opposite sides of the frame 40 and adjacent the bottom thereof and positioned close to the forward end of the frame portion 42 or just to the rear of the frame portion 4|.

To provide the rigid but removable connection between the cutter bar 45 and the frame 4|, the arms of the extension 89 are provided with upwardly extending tabs, through which bolts or machine screws extend and are threaded into an adjacent portion of the frame 4I. Thus by removing the screws and by expanding the hydraulic jacks 58, the front end of the frame 40 may be elevated or swung upwardly with respect to the cutter bar 45 about the pivotal axes of pins |92, though the actual swinging of the frame 40 will be about the rear pads |43.

This swinging movement will permit free longitudinal removal of the rotor |55 together with the front cover plate IGI without requiring removal of the cutter chain 46 from either the cutter bar 45 or its drive sprocket. If it is desired to remove the cutter bar 45 it is only necessary to disconnect the chain 46 and, with the holding screws removed, slide said cutter bar forwardly. Thus easy removal of the cutter bar 45 is provided for.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and I therefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mining machine, a motor having a hollow rotor shaft, spaced bearings supporting said rotor shaft, a drive shaft extending through said rotor shaft, means interconnecting said shafts including a clutch, spaced bearings supporting said drive shaft, an enclosure for said clutch and one of each of said rotor and drive shaft bearings, an oil passageway in said drive shaft com- 6 municatingwith said enclosure, and means 'for delivering oil to said passageway Vand by` it to the bearings in said enclosure, said drive shaft and rotor shaft cooperating to provide a passageway leading from said enclosure to another of said spaced bearings whereby it is also lubricated.

2. In a mining machine, a motor having fa' 3. In a mining machine', a motorhaving an enclosure, a hollow rotor shaft in said enclosure and extending therefrom at one end, spaced bearings supporting said rotor shaft from said enclosure, a drive shaft extending through said rotor shaft, means interconnecting said shafts, spaced bearings supporting said drive shaft, an enclosure for one of each of said rotor and drive shaft bearings and being outside said motor enclosure, an oil passageway extending through said drive shaft and communicating with said second named enclosure, and means for deliver-` ing oil to one end of said passageway and by'it to the bearings in said second named enclosure located at the other end thereof.

4. In a mining machine, the combination with a frame, of a motor, a rotor for said motor including a hollow rotor shaft, a hollow drive shaft extending through said rotor shaft and spaced therefrom, said drive shaft having a passageway extending entirely therethrough, spaced bearings supporting opposite ends of said rotor and drive shafts, and means for delivering oil to said passageway and at one end of said hollow drive shaft which acts as a conduit to deliver it to at least one of said bearings located adjacent its other end, said hollow rotor shaft also cooperating with said drive shaft to provide a conduit to return oil to a position adjacent the feed end of said hollow drive shaft to lubricate at least one bearing located adjacent thereto.

5. In a mining machine, the combination with a frame, of a motor, a rotor for said motor including a hollow rotor shaft, a hollow drive shaft extending through said rotor shaft, spaced bearings supporting said rotor and drive shafts and located adjacent opposite ends thereof, means including said hollow drive shaft providing a conduit extending from one end of said hollow shaft to at least one of said bearings adjacent the opposite end of said hollow shaft, and means for delivering oil to said one end of said hollow drive shaft which acts through said conduit means to deliver it to at least one of said bearings located adjacent its other end.

6. In a mining machine, the combination with a frame, of a motor on said frame including an armature, a hollow armature shaft supporting said armature, a drive shaft extending through said armature shaft, said hollow armature shaft providing a lubricating oil passageway, a friction clutch interconnecting said armature shaft and said drive shaft, bearing means independently supporting said two shafts at opposite ends, and means including said hollow armature shaft for lubricating Said bear-ings and .said friction clutch from a common Source..

l. 1n a mining machine, the Combination with. a frame! ef a motor 01,1, Said. frame including an armature, a hollow armature shaft supporting said armature. a drive .Shaft extending through Said armature Shaft, .Said hollow armature Shaft being. spaced. from Said drive Shaft and Cooperating therewith to provide a lubricating oil passageway, means interconnecting said armature shaft and said shaft, bearing means independently supporting ,Sa-id two Shafts, and means i11- luding said hollow armature shaft for lubrieating said hearings from a common source.

8- mechine insludne a motory Said motor having a raton a hollow Shaft supporting said foton spaced bearings for supporting opposite ends of said hollow rotor shaft, a hollow drive shaft havlng an oil passageway completely therethrough and extending through said hollow rotor shaft having a toothed gear on one end, a clutch connesting the other end of said drive shaft and said rotor shaft, bearings Supporting opposite ends of said drive shaft, and means for delivering lubrif eating material to flow through said hollow shafts first in one direction through said oil passageway in said drive shaft and then reversely in the other to lubricate said bearings, said clutch and said toothed gear.

9. A machine including a motor having a hollow rotor shaft and a drive shaft extending therethrough a lubricant passageway extending through said drive shaft, a clutch at one end of said motor interconnecting said shafts, bearings at said one end supporting said shafts, and means for delivering lubricant to said lubricant passageway at the other end of said motor and directing it therethrough to lubricate said clutch and said bearings,

10. A motor including a hollow rotor shaft, a hollow drive shaft extending therethrough hav: ing a lubricant passageway extending substantially from one end of said drive shaft to the other, intermeshing gearing on one end of said drive shaft, a clutch on the other end thereof, bearings for said shafts on opposite ends thereof, and means for delivering lubricant to said hollow drive shaft lubricant passageway adjacent said intermeshing gearing end and for lubricating the bearings adjacent said clutch and said clutch.

ARTHUR L. LEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 943,503 Wiard Dec. 14, 1909 1,805,876 Levin May 19, 1931 1,814,237 Bradford July 14, 1931 2,403,579 Carpenter July 9, 1946 FQREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 291,087 C Vireat Britain Oct. 11, 1928 586,814 Germany Oct. 26, 1933 

